The already stellar Vampire Survivors just got better with legendary update

I say without any shred of shame that Vampire Survivors is one of the best games to come out of the last few years. It delivers a satisfying experience like few others with its constant dopamine hits of tumbling numbers as you destroy swathes of monstrous enemies. Sure, there’s little more to it than wandering around and choosing weapons, but as the game has grown, so too has the pool of items and weapons that can be combined, making it more tactical than ever.

The latest DLC pack, Ode to Castlevania, brings the game full circle, fully embracing and teaming up with the game franchise that supplied so much inspiration. It’s not only wonderful to see the two titles combine, but this latest expansion has brought with it one enormous map that takes several attempts to see it all, plus 20 characters and over 40 weapons. And add on 30+ new music tracks, it’s practically a whole new game.

Poncle, the developer of Vampire Survivors, has never been shy in its inspirations. It’s clear that the game is rooted in old-school vampire adventures like the early Castlevania games. Many of the weapons and stage features are based around things like the whip from the first Castlevania or the inexplicable breakable lamps that drop food items.

But this is Poncle’s chance to work with Konami and bring over loads of great characters directly from the franchise and put them into the bullet hell roguelike that has won over so many hearts. Now, this isn’t a review. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the new content pack - though I do have a new favourite character from those I’ve tried, but I’ll get to him shortly - there’s just so much to enjoy here.

Poncle

The new map, Ode to Castlevania, is vast. You’d never see it in a standard 30-minute run unless you’ve streamlined your build and learned where all the shortcuts are - because of course there are fake walls and small corridors leading to impressively decorated rooms. It’s mazelike, even with the map in the pause menu, perfectly capturing the sprawling sense of scale you get from a Castlevania title.

Then there are all the new weapons, which I’ve seen so few of, but each comes directly from one of the retro classics wielded by the characters we love so much from days past. My current favourite is Hector who carries a thumping great mace with him but also has the ability to conjure a familiar every 10 levels he earns. By the end of that run, I had several little beasties strolling around me carving up ghosts and ghouls with abandon.

And it wouldn’t be a celebration of Castlevania without the many whip-carrying heroes; Leon, Sonia, Trevor, Richter, and many more, all of whom carry a different type of whip with them. New spellbooks come with other characters and can be dropped by minibosses to wield elemental powers like tumbling rocks or blasts of ice.

I’ve been constantly surprised and pleased by each DLC pack available, even the bizarre Among Us collaboration, but this is the best yet. A step up that doubles, if not triples, the size of the game. And when you consider you can buy the base game and this new DLC for less than a London pint, it feels like a steal.

The sheer joy this game brings me cannot be downplayed and it keeps getting better with age. Now, I’m off to try and find Dracula and batter him while unlocking all these new characters and getting lost in his castle.